Emmy® Award Winning Director of A Quiet Revolution and Another Way of Seeing Things
Presents
An Agora Productions’ Release
The POWER of the POWERLESS
A film by Emmy® Award Winner Cory Taylor
Narrated by Academy® Award Winner Jeremy Irons
Winner Documentary Feature Audience Award Sacramento Music & Film Festival, USA
Winner Documentary Feature Honorable Mention Ojai Film Festival, USA
Winner Golden Palm Award Mexico International Film Festival, Mexico
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Official Selection Tallahassee International Film Festival, USA
Official Selection Tiburon International Film Festival, USA
Official Selection Art of Document, Warsaw, Poland
Official Selection of the Best of One World Film Festival – D.C., Brussels, Nairobi
Official Selection United Nations Association Human Rights Film Festival, San Francisco, USA
20th Anniversary of 1989 Official Selection Libertas Film Festival, Croatia
20th Anniversary of 1989 Official Selection Planete Doc Film Festival, Warsaw, Poland
Official Selection International Film Festival Timisoara, Romania
Official Selection Chashama Festival of the Worlds, New York, USA
Official Selection Bergen International Film Festival, Norway
Official Selection ARPA International Film Festival, Los Angles, USA
Official Selection Starz Denver Film Festival, USA
Official Selection St. Louis International Film Festival, USA
Official Selection International Film Festival South Africa
Official Selection Golden Gate Fiction & Documentary Festival, USA
Official Selection Boston International Film Festival, USA
Official Selection Art Film Festival, Slovakia
Official Selection Philadelphia Documentary & Fiction Festival, USA
Official Selection Burbank International Film Festival, USA
Official Selection Karama Human Rights Film Festival, Aman, Jordan
Official Selection Bellingham Human Rights Film Festival, USA
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The POWER of the POWERLESS
Synopsis (medium)
Narrated by Academy Award winner Jeremy Irons, "The Power of the Powerless" explores
Czechoslovakia's legacy of communist rule and the struggle against it: From the iron-fisted Stalinist
government of the 1950s; through the vibrant and politically active Prague Spring of the 1960s; the
hard-line backlash of the 1970s; and finally the bloodless revolution of 1989. At the heart of the film
is the story of blacklisted playwright Václav Havel and his fellow dissidents who, for two decades,
spoke out against totalitarianism. The film culminates with the student-led movement in Prague,
which sparked 1989’s Velvet Revolution and drew a half-million people into the streets, catapulting
Václav Havel into the presidency. The documentary features rare and never-before-seen interviews
with key figures of the Velvet Revolution including Václav Havel. The participation of young Czechs in
the film, who reveal that much of their country’s recent history has already been forgotten, makes
the film all the more pertinent for young viewers. Directed by Primetime Emmy Award winner Cory
Taylor and completed in 2009, "The Power of the Powerless" has already been broadcast in 30
countries on 10 television networks, featured in 24 international film festivals, won multiple awards,
and is currently being used by human rights organizations to encourage dissidents struggling in nondemocratic countries including Burma, Cuba and the Middle East.
Synopsis (alternate)
History has shown that societies which fail to address past injustices are tragically destined to
repeat the same mistakes. Narrated by Academy Award® winner Jeremy Irons, The Power of the
Powerless, examines the harmful effects of erasing history, twenty years after the fall of communism
in Czechoslovakia. Contrasting the experiences of those who fought against the communist regime,
with the silent majority who supported it, The Power of the Powerless investigates why many Czechs
today don’t want their communist past dug up. Featuring original interviews with dissidents such as
former President Vaclav Havel, this film tells the inspirational story of the Velvet Revolution of 1989,
and asks why Czech youth aren’t being taught about their own history.
Synopsis (short)
Narrated by Academy® Award winner Jeremy Irons, The Power of the Powerless examines the
struggle for freedom during the communist era in Czechoslovakia. Featuring Vaclav Havel, who
ascended to power during the bloodless revolution of 1989, The Power of the Powerless investigates
haunting questions about the communist past, which still linger today.
Logline
Jeremy Irons narrates the inspiring story of the Velvet Revolution, those who triumphed through
nonviolence, and the legacy of apathy left behind.
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European Distribution Contact:
Jarmila Outratova
Outcome
420 776 066 165
Email: [email protected]
Press Contact:
Darin Nellis
Agora Productions
(310) 740-2616
Email:[email protected]
www.agoraproductions.org
Technical Details
Title: The Power of the Powerless
Length: 78 minutes
Original Format: DVCPro HD
Mastering Format: HDCAM SR; color/B&W; Aspect Ratio: 1.78 (16x9
widescreen); Stereo; Sound Mix: LTRT
Year of Production: 2009
Genre: Documentary
Alternative formats:
Length: 58 minutes (HDCAM SR or Digibeta) color/B&W; Aspect Ratio: 1.78 (16x9
widescreen); Stereo; Sound Mix: LTRT
Available formats:
78 min: Blu-ray, DVD, HDCAM (NTSC). 58 min and 78 min: HDCAM SR (NTSC) and
Digibeta Anamorphic or Letterbox (NTSC or PAL), DVD
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What a Revolution Should Look Like: The Power of the
Powerless
Mar 092011
By Joe Bendel. Initially, the student-driven revolution against Czechoslovakia’s hardline Communist
government seemed hopelessly naïve. In a mere eleven days, the humbled regime relinquished their
dubious claim to power, clearing the way for democratic elections. Unlike the current Middle Eastern “Days
of Rage,” it all transpired without demonstrators committing any sexually, ethnically, or religiously
motivated acts of violence. In fact, whether Havel and the Velvet Revolution were too forgiving of their
former oppressors is one of the questions raised in Cory Taylor’s documentary, The Power of the
Powerless, which opens this Friday in the Los Angeles area.
In 1989, Prague witnessed one of the most inspiring
revolutions in world history. However, several college
students interviewed throughout Powerless are
unsure what to make of it. More specifically, they are
unclear how their parents were or were not involved
with either the Revolution or the former Communist
secret police and its network of informers. By
contrast, Dana Němcová’s children knew only too
well their mother was one of the 242 original
signatories on the Charter ’77 declaration. Indeed,
through a coordinated campaign of harassment, the
government would not let them forget it.
For context, Powerless provides an authoritative
overview of the Communist Coup of 1948, the brief
period of liberalization known as “Prague Spring,”
and the resulting Soviet invasion of 1968. According
to historian and onetime Havel advisor Jacques
Rupnik, during the Stalinist period of so-called
“Normalization” approximately half a million party members were purged. Indeed, the extent to which the
Velvet Revolutionaries reached out to those former Prague Springers in 1989 clearly illustrates the
humanist spirit of the movement.
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Not surprisingly, Havel emerges as the critical figure of the film’s narrative. Yet one of the Powerless’ great
merits is the wealth of former dissident voices it presents, including the relatively unheralded Němcová, as
well as the likes of Jan Bubeník, a leader of the student demonstrators who became the youngest member
to serve in the Czechoslovakian Parliament. Featuring the silky tones of narrator Jeremy Irons, the film
tells the real life human stories of average people, who rather than merely finding themselves caught up in
great events, rose to the occasion, becoming leaders themselves.
The ultimate wisdom of Havel’s conciliatory tone to all but the worst offenders of the former regime
remains an open question throughout Powerless. While most Czechs readily give him credit for unifying
their country (though he was unable to hold together Czechoslovakia as a whole), many are plagued by
nagging questions in the absence of a full accounting of the dark years of Communism. However, the
peaceful “people power” Havel harnessed in face of a violent government repression speaks volumes.
Indeed, Powerless is a timely reminder that democratic revolution must be accompanied by a commitment
to individual rights in order to be successful. Insightful and informative, Powerless opens this Friday (3/11)
at the Laemmle Music Box in Beverly Hills, with a New York engagement to come sometime in the near
future.
Posted on March 9th, 2011 at 10:36am
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Showing power within the 'Powerless'
by: MICHAEL SMITH World Scene Writer
Friday, July 02, 2010
7/2/2010 8:49:30 AM
What started as a few lonely dissidents seeking freedom through nonviolent means grew into mass demonstrations, which
ultimately toppled communist tyranny in Czechoslovakia's 1989 Velvet Revolution.
"The Power of the Powerless," a new documentary that begins playing Friday at Circle Cinema, 10 S. Lewis Ave., recounts
those events. In addition to various U.S. screenings, the film is also being shown in underground channels through
international human rights organizations in areas such as Burma, Cuba and the Middle East.
The goal of those screenings is to deliver a pro-democracy message to dissidents who seek freedom through nonviolence in
restricted countries, said Darin Nellis, executive producer of the film.
Nellis will be present at Circle Cinema for question-and-answer sessions in conjunction with Friday's 7:30 p.m. screening at
the theater, as well as for Saturday's 2:45 p.m. matinee showing.
"Our objective is to increase awareness among viewers of what people are capable of, as well as to provoke a dialogue —
especially among young people — about the importance of safeguarding democracy and human rights," Nellis said.
"We believe this is an important and timely message for Americans on the eve of celebrating our own freedom and
independence," he added, regarding the Fourth of July holiday.
Oscar-winning actor Jeremy Irons narrates the documentary, which features former Czech President Vaclav Havel, whose
persistent advocacy for his people's rights and his being imprisoned for these beliefs inspired others to end the communist
regime that controlled the country.
"The victory of Vaclav Havel and his fellow dissidents over communist tyranny 20 years ago is one of those stories that
restores your faith in humanity," says Cory Taylor, the film's director, in a prepared statement.
"At the same time, it's a cautionary tale about what can happen when we let our fears immobilize us."
Nellis heads Agora Productions, a nonprofit group with the mission of promoting humane values and enlightening young
adults and others of the stories of "positive role models through film, art and educational materials."
"The Power of the Powerless" has a running time of 1 hour, 18 minutes and is not rated by the Motion Picture Association of
America. More information about this film event is available at tulsaworld.com/circle or by calling the theater at 592-3456.
Associate Images Follow:
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Vaclav Havel, the first president of the Czech Republic, leads protests during Prague's 1989 Velvet
Revolution. The demonstrations are the focus of "The Power of the Powerless," a new documentary at Circle
Cinema. Courtesy
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Copyright © 2010, World Publishing Co. All rights reserved
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Director’s Statement
From Cory Taylor, Director, The Power of the Powerless
Czechoslovakia’s “Velvet Revolution” is one of the most stirring episodes of people-power in recent
history. Inspired by the courageous struggle of a handful of dissidents, and sparked by idealistic students
demonstrating in the streets of Prague, Czechs and Slovaks brought an end to forty years of communist
tyranny through bloodless revolution in 1989. Today, Vaclav Havel, the former outlaw playwright who led the
opposition, is respected as one of the most important human rights figures of the 20th Century.
Though many informed people see the relevance of the Velvet Revolution to current events, great
majorities of people around the world are still unaware of this inspiring story. Fewer still, are those who know
about the trials and tribulations Vaclav Havel and his fellow dissidents endured to achieve a bloodless transfer
of power. For this reason, and in support of freedom and human rights around the world, we set out to make
this documentary.
What we couldn’t have known until we made the film, is how little is known about what really took
place even in the Czech Republic, where many young people remain in the dark about their country’s
communist past.
We are grateful that so many key figures from this important episode, including President Vaclav
Havel, agreed to participate in this documentary. In a world where viable alternatives to armed conflict are still
desperately needed, the time is right to reflect on 1989’s Velvet Revolution.
Cory Taylor
Director
The Power of the Powerless
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About the Film
From Cory Taylor, Director, The POWER of the POWERLESS
In 2005, we began research on the Velvet Revolution for a documentary. The more I read about the
life of Václav Havel – his trajectory from outspoken playwright to political prisoner to leader of a bloodless
revolution and later, first president of post-totalitarian Czechoslovakia – the more inspired I became. When I
learned that young people in Prague had sparked 1989’s Velvet Revolution and embraced Havel’s non-violent
philosophy, I was hooked. A year later in 2006, the production team for “The Power of the Powerless” was
assembled in Prague to begin filming.
At the time, we thought it would be a good idea to utilize contemporary Czech college students as
storytellers in the documentary since they were the first generation to grow up in the post-totalitarian era.
Finding them and documenting their lives was the first of two goals on our agenda that Fall: the second was to
film the events associated with the revolution’s anniversary. On a scouting trip the previous year, a stirring
candlelit march in Prague gave us the impression that the city’s residents celebrated the anniversary with deep
conviction. Similarly, conversations on that trip with Czech students convinced me that plenty of Czech young
people were willing and able to recite the story of the Velvet Revolution and impart how it had shaped their
ideals.
We started by interviewing prospective students at a local coffee shop. The first day we were
disappointed: none of the candidates expressed any personal interest in the Velvet Revolution. By the fifth, an
unfortunate pattern had emerged: the majority of young people we met felt little connection to the events of
1989 and few could recall the details. A few days later, my hopes were further dashed when we found out
there would not be any events commemorating the revolution’s anniversary that year. I got the flu and broke
out in a rash.
Pulling myself together, I joined my colleagues for one more round of interviews. Three candidates
possessing greater knowledge of the subject appeared and arrangements were made to start filming. But our
subsequent attempt to fit these young people into scenes relating to the Velvet Revolution proved disastrous.
Asking them to recount episodes from Czech history through contrived conversations in a second language and
in frigid temperatures on camera was not going well. I was enveloped in a Kafkaesque depression. Then, on
November 17th, while the rest of the city was preoccupied with other things, our students joined a sparse
crowd to lay candles at various monuments associated with the anniversary. I could hardly conceal my
disappointment.
It would take another two trips to Prague for us to realize how significant that first one was. Our
assumptions had to be shattered in order to see beyond them. In retrospect, I’m grateful to have gone
through this painful experience. Without it, we might never have uncovered the disturbing reasons why so
many young Czechs aren’t being taught their own history, and “The Power of the Powerless” wouldn’t be the
film that it is.
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The POWER of the POWERLESS
Character Updates
Václav Havel was twice chosen as president of post-communist Czechoslovakia. He continues to write
and speak publicly on human rights and democracy.
John Bok founded the Šalomoun Association to provide legal aid to the unjustly accused.
Jan Bubeník became the youngest member of the Czechoslovak Federal Parliament in 1990 and later
joined the private sector.
Jiří Dienstbier became the first post-communist foreign minister of Czechoslovakia and university
lecturer.
Ivan Havel founded an academic institute and continues to work as a professor and editor.
Jan Jařab became National Human Rights Commissioner of the Czech Republic and policy advisor to
the European Commission.
Josef Jařab became the freely-elected rector of one of Czechoslovakia’s largest universities and was
elected in to the Czech Senate in 1997 and 2001.
Oskar Krejčí is a professor of political science and has written over twenty books and a thousand
articles in his field.
Dana Němcová served as head of a major humanitarian organization and continues to support prodemocracy activists threatened with persecution.
Monika Pajerová worked as an advisor and spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and later
founded a civic organization promoting European unity.
Martin Palouš became Ambassador to the United States and Permanent Representative of the Czech
Republic at the United Nations.
Šimon Pánek established the largest human rights and humanitarian organization in the Czech
Republic.
Jiřina Šiklová established the Department of Social Work at Charles University in Prague and later
founded the Czech Gender Studies Center.
Jan Urban has worked as a war correspondent, documentary filmmaker, publisher and university
lecturer.
Alexandr Vondra became Foreign Minister and later Deputy Prime Minister of the Czech Republic.
Paul Wilson, since being expelled from communist Czechoslovakia he has worked as a writer, radio
producer and translator of Václav Havel’s works.
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The POWER of the POWERLESS
Production Biographies
Cory Taylor, Executive Producer/Director
Cory Taylor is a documentary filmmaker who began his career working as a photographer and
editor for National Geographic. In 2002, his award-winning film, “A Quiet Revolution”, narrated by
Meryl Streep and featuring Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Wangari Maathai, brought attention to
human and ecological security issues and was screened in over fifty countries at UN-sponsored
events, film festivals, television, and integrated into university and high school curricula in North
America and Asia. In 2004, Taylor’s second directorial effort, “Another Way of Seeing Things”,
narrated by F. Murray Abraham, which dealt with the issue of tolerance in the media, won multiple
awards at the Columbus and Tiburon International Film Festivals. Taylor has traveled to India to film
segments with the International Centre for Gandhian Studies and has collaborated closely with the
Martin Luther King Jr. International Chapel at Morehouse College. He is also a primetime Emmy
Award-winning filmmaker with fifteen years of experience writing, producing and editing over 40
documentaries for PBS, National Geographic, NBC, Discovery Channel and various NGOs. Taylor
received his BA from UCLA in Theater, Film and Television.
Cory Taylor (Abbreviated bio)
Cory Taylor is an Emmy® award winning filmmaker with over fifteen years of experience
writing, producing, directing and editing over 40 documentaries for NBC, PBS, National Geographic,
The Discovery Channel, Animal Planet and various NGOs. His most recent work includes the awardwinning film, A Quiet Revolution, which aired in over in over 50 countries.
Darin Nellis, Executive Producer/Producer
Darin Nellis has devoted twenty years of experience working in business management and
community relations for private, public and non-profit entities in the U.S. and Africa. Positions in the
private sector include Managing Director for the Eurasian distribution company, Power Quality
Holdings, and Director of Corporate Planning for the nanotech company, NanoTech Industries. Nonprofit positions included Community Development Officer at the United Way of Los Angeles, Loyola
Marymount Peace Corps Fellow, Community Development Agent for the U.S. Peace Corps and
Volunteer & Outreach Coordinator for the American Oceans Campaign.
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Jonathan Terra, Producer/Researcher
Jonathan Terra has over 20 years of experience as a scholar and educator focusing on
democratization and political change. Terra is a senior lecturer at the Anglo-American College in
Prague, advisor to the European Initiative for Democracy and Human Rights in Brussels; former
Adjunct Professor at the Center for Economic Research and Graduate Education-Economics Institute
(CERGE-EI) in Prague.
James T. Sale, Composer
James T. Sale is an accomplished composer and orchestrator for Film and television with 15
years of experience including scores for "The Haunting of Molly
Hartley" and "Music Within." He
also orchestrates and conducts music for Mark Mothersbaugh (Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs,
Fanboys, Herbie: Fully Loaded), Bill Brown (CSI: NY), Lee Holdrige (Kindertransport) and for numerous
award-winning video games.
Alex Ryan, Production Consultant
Alex Ryan was recently nominated for an Emmy for HBO’s “Alive Day Memories: Home from
Iraq.” She continues to produce films for HBO through her partnership with “Sopranos” actor James
Gandolfini, as well as a newly signed development deal with HBO. Ryan, a former Paramount
Creative Executive, currently has in development “Hemingway and Gellhorn,” directed by Philip
Kaufman (“The Right Stuff,” “Quills”), which chronicles Ernest Hemingway’s life; “Sacco and Vanzetti”
– a film about the unjust execution of Italian immigrants in 1920’s Boston directed by Rod Lurie (“The
Contender,” “Commander in Chief”) and “Sonny” – the story of the notorious shoe executive and
basketball scout Sonny Vacarro.
Lionel Friedberg, Production Consultant
Recipient of a Primetime Emmy, a National Emmy, the American Association for the
Advancement of Science ‘Westinghouse’ Award for Science Programming, three Columbus and three
Golden Eagles for Best Documentaries. He has worked for over 30 years supervising, producing,
writing and directing documentaries, reality, investigative and educational programs and has 18
feature film credits as Director of Photography.
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Credits
Written and Directed By
Cory Taylor
Executive Producers
Darin Nellis
Cory Taylor
Produced by
Jonathan Terra
Darin Nellis
Music by
James T. Sale
Narrated by
Jeremy Irons
Research By
Jonathan Terra
Production Consultants
Alex Ryan
Lionel Friedberg
Coordinating Producer
Otto Requette
Photographed and Edited By
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Cory Taylor
Sound Recordist
Darin Nellis
Production Stills
Jonathan Terra
Production Advisors
Shinji Ishibashi
Paul Wilkinson
Michael T. Kaufman
Production Coordinators
Evan Weinerman
Julie Ann Taylor
Sound Editor
Darren Barnett
Online Editor/Colorist
TBD
Re-recording Mixer
Darren Barnett
Sponsors
Tom & Valeria Chu
Paul Wilkinson
The Dr. Isabel L.D. Grant Memorial Fund
Michael Gittleson
Beth LaMure
Patricia & William Taylor
Mary & Ed Wilkinson
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Juan Carlos Granados
Hilma Cohn
Titles Design
Melissa Wong
Graphic Artists
Susan Tom-Nellis
Melissa Wong
Graphics Advisor
Ryan Nellis
Archival Research
Jonathan Terra
Evan Weinerman
Absolutely Archives
Archive Photographs Courtesy of
Czech News Agency
Jan Bednár
Jirí Bednár
Vladimír Bosák
Josef Bubeník
Karel Cudlín
Jovan Dezort
Libor Hajski
Dagmar Havlová
Dagmar Hochová
Pavel Horejsí
Viktor Kolár
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Jaroslav Kucera
Ivan Kyncl
Dana Kyndrová
Václav Maly
Ota Nepily
Alan Pajer
Divadlo Na zábradlí
Jan Sibík
Oldrich Skácha
The Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library
National Archive of the Czech Republic
Libri Prohibiti
Security Forces Archive of the Czech Republic (ABS)
The Public Theater, New York
The Belknap Collection for the Performing Arts,
Department of Special and Area Studies Collections,
University of Florida, Gainesville
Stock Footage Courtesy of
Czech Television
National Film Archive of the Czech Republic
U.S. National Archives
Streamline Films, Inc.
The Mission of Agora Productions
Agora Productions (www.thepowerofthepowerless.org or www.agoraproductions.org) is a 501(c)3
nonprofit organization whose mission is to promote humane values, enhance critical thinking skills and
expose people, particularly young adults, to positive role models through film, art and educational materials.
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